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Claude von Reigan let the roar of the cheering crowd wash over his back as he came to take his spot in the archery competition. The noise erupted in the Colosseum with a gentle wave and a quick smile. He never cared too much for his popularity; he had no qualms about using the audience against his competition. Any psyching out the crowd did would be less work for him in the long run.
A glance at his competition showed that the only one not affected by the crowd was Ignatz Victor, his close friend that was used to the antics Claude could get stirred up in. Once more, he turned and gave a charming smile to the crowd, which caused several more screams from the audience. As Claude was about to turn away, an empty seat caught his attention at the front, centered right behind Claude’s position. With a pang in his chest, he tore his gaze away from the chair with a sign that said, ‘Reserved for Hilda von Goneril.’
As Ignatz stepped forward to take his turn, Claude’s mind returned to the empty seat that taunted him.
Hilda stood behind Claude as they watched Ignatz clumsily draw his bow. “Don’t stress out too much, Iggy! Just pretend you’re painting!” She cheerily called out.
“With a BOW?!” Ignatz called back incredulously.
“Yeah,” Claude joined in, “Just imagine the target is your painting, and the arrow is the brush on its way to finish the painting!”
Ignatz shook his head, took a deep breath, held it for a few more moments, then released the drawn arrow.
*Thunk*
“AND IGNATZ VICTOR HITS A BULLSEYE, STARTING THIS COMPETITION OFF STRONG!” The crowd roared again, shaking Claude from his thoughts. Then, a more confident Ignatz raised his hand to the masses, eliciting a more sane cheer than Claude’s provoked. Once more, Claude looked to the crowd but only saw Leonie Pinelli next to Hilda’s spot.
“NEXT UP TO SHOOT IS LEICESTER HIGH’S VERY OWN ‘GRAND DUKE’ OF ARCHERY, CLAUDE VON REIGAN!” The insane cheering came back to Claude’s ears as he stepped forward. He flicked his extravagant sunshine yellow cape as he entered his ready stance. Then, with a deep breath, he drew his bow and aimed at the pink and black bull’s eye.
Claude drew his bow back, rage filling his body. He found his Grandfather’s killer; he would finally get revenge. He would look them in the eye and show them Reigan’s always get their way! The Archer kicked them over and roared out at them. “IT’S OVER, KRONYA!”
Fear only graced their features for a moment before they scowled. “Over my dead body, Reigan!” Before they could retaliate, Claude stomped on their throat.
“That’s the plan.”
The door slammed open and revealed Hilda wielding a Fireman’s axe, fully covered in her firefighter’s gear. Pink eyes looked into his green ones, both filled with shock.
“Hilda?”
“Claude!?”
“What are you doing here!?”
“I could ask you the same!” She seemed to recognize what was happening at that point. “Put down the bow, Claude.” He looked from Hilda’s concerned face to Kronya’s murderous one. “Claude?” All it would take was two fingers, and the arrow would go through her throat.
“CLAUDE!” Hilda called out from the stands, and Claude released his arrow as her voice reached his ears. The din and the crowd vanished as he whipped his head around. He saw her leaning over the barricade, the reserved chair blocked behind her body. She wore her gym clothes, her dyed pink hair tied up in a bun. Hilda stood with a few beads of sweat clung to her brow, a heaving chest, and a concerned face. In those few seconds, Claude registered the Announcer calling out his bullseye. With the relief of seeing Hilda, the smile that came to his face was as easy as ever.
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Hilda watched as Claude gave a cheeky salute to the crowd before turning back to the competition. She sighed in relief and sank into her chair. Leonie raised an eyebrow, and Hilda winced, knowing what was coming.
"What made you late?" Leonie asked.
"I was helping the new recruits with some training," Hilda responded.
"Your brother made you do it?" Leonie asked, surprised.
"No, I just offered some tips," Hilda said with a smile, trying to deflect Leonie's suspicion “You can never be too safe!”
But her mind was preoccupied with her own problems. Claude had been acting strange since the incident with that woman, and Hilda couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. On top of that, she was determined to become the next fire chief. The arsonist who had killed the mayor in the fire last year was still at large, and Hilda worried about the safety of the city. Not to mention she hadn’t even studied for her math midterm!
As she watched the other competitors, Hilda drummed her fingers against her chair, noticing the poorly maintained turf that posed a fire hazard. When Iggy, one of Claude's Golden Deer, took his turn, she cheered him on. But when she looked at Claude, she saw a different side of him. His eyes, which usually sparkled with mischief, were now dull and lifeless. His posture was rigid, and he seemed to be wearing a mask.
When the Announcer called for Claude's second attempt, Hilda put on a smile and called out to him, hoping to make his life a little brighter. "You can do it, Claude!" she yelled, but deep down, she knew that something was wrong.
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Claude slammed his locker shut, his mind still replaying the events of the previous night. He could have avenged his grandfather's death if Hilda hadn't shown up. He couldn't shake off the feeling of regret and anger towards himself for letting the murderer escape. He punched the wall, hoping to release some of his pent-up frustration.
“Uh… Claude?” Ignatz's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Claude took a deep breath and turned to see Ignatz looking at him with concern.
“It's nothing, Ig. Just personal stuff. Congrats on your score today, by the way! A beautiful painting, I would say. If only we could get you more confident, the polo captain won't know what hit her!” Claude gave Ignatz a reassuring smile before making a hasty exit, leaving the boy flustered.
He knew he needed to fix this mess, find the murderer, and avenge his grandfather. And then he could talk to Hilda and hope that things would return to normal. But for now, he needed to focus on surveillance. Claude changed into more inconspicuous clothing and put on a face mask to hide his identity.
As he made his way towards the location of the murderer, Claude couldn't help but think about Hilda. She was his primary support, and he needed her now more than ever. He wondered if he should confide in her, but the thought of burdening her with his problems made him hesitate. He had to deal with this on his own for now. This will keep her safe.
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Hilda sunk her fireman's axe into the stuck door, the flames surrounding her and licking at her coat and legs. She tensed up and slammed her body against the door, forcing it open and creating an entrance into the burning room. For a moment, she saw a vision of Claude standing over a woman with his bow drawn, ready to kill, but the crackling of the fire brought her back to reality.
Hilda approached the girl and knelt down to her level, quickly putting her axe away. “Hey, sweetie, let’s get you out of here, okay?!” she called through her mask. As she bent closer, the dog moved out of the way to allow Hilda to pick her up. The young girl, no older than five, weakly reached up, and Hilda effortlessly hefted her over her shoulder. Once she was secure, Hilda scooped up the large dog and exited the burning building as quickly as possible. Just as she left the front door, she could hear the parents loudly cry out for their little girl, but Hilda ignored the calling parents and made her way to the paramedics on standby.
As she set down the girl and the dog, her two-way radio blared. "All occupants of the building accounted for. Stop the fire from spreading," her brother Holst's voice came through. Hilda looked over and saw the other firefighters dousing the flames with a hose.
"Lieutenant!" a voice called out, and Hilda turned to see the two women of the house embracing her with gratitude. She saw an apologetic Caspar rubbing the back of his head as they thanked her.
“Oh, you saved our little Edel, oh thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“And you rescued Hubert as well! How can we ever repay you?” The women continued to thank her, and Hilda took off her helmet and respirator to try and calm them down.
“Just doing my job, ma’ams. Give the paramedics time to look over your daughter, and maybe try to see if you can get a vet to look over your dog. He was courageous, protecting your little girl.” She paused, realizing she had something to offer. “Aha, wait just a second.” Hilda walked over to the truck she arrived in and opened the glove compartment. Inside was a water bottle, a Ziploc bag of dog treats, and a few handmade jewelry pieces. She flipped her helmet over and poured a tiny bit of water into it. After swirling it around and dumping the initial water, she poured the rest into the helmet and gently set it down in front of Hubert. The dog sniffed at it before looking up at her. Hilda nodded and gestured to the helmet to permit him to drink. Hubert slurped from the impromptu bowl noisily.
As the paramedics talked to the parents, Hilda approached the little girl. “Edel, right?”
The little girl looked up at her and whispered, “...pretty.”
Hilda smiled at the compliment. “Why, thank you! You see Edel, I got something for you!” She slipped a small wooden necklace over the girl’s head. “This necklace means that you’re under a firefighter’s protection now! So now fires won’t go after you nearly as easily. And if you ever need anything, look for pink hair, okay? All firefighters in this town have pink hair to make us easier to find. So, if you see a fire or someone who needs help, look for anyone of us, and we’ll come help you!” Edel nodded.
“...kay. Thanks, pretty lady.” Hilda felt a nudge at her knee and saw Hubert had finished drinking the water. With a smile, she bent down and gave the dog a few pets. She gave the small bag of dog treats to Edel with a smile.
“Hubert was a very brave boy today, so make sure you give him these, okay?” Hilda watched as the little girl started to dote on the dog.
She returned to the truck with Caspar, who got in the driver’s seat. “I was talking to those ladies, and it’s the same story we’ve been hearing boss. Our mysterious arsonist threw a brick through the window, followed by a homemade Molotov cocktail. If the cops don’t find them soon, we won’t have a town left to fight fires in!”
Before Hilda could respond, both of their radios flared to life. All Hilda could do was sigh as Holst called them to another fire. “Caspar was right; if someone didn’t get this arsonist, more people would get hurt or even die like Claude’s grandpa did… wait.” Hilda’s eyes widened in realization as another flash to Claude standing over that woman. “Did Claude figure it out? Was that lady the arsonist that killed his grandpa? Is that why he was going to kill her? But she got away… because I distracted him.” Hilda slammed her head against the dashboard in a move that startled Caspar.
“Fuck!”
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Claude ducked behind a wall as another bang sounded in the hall. Oh, he found Kronya alright, and she was pissed. Finding her was relatively easy, but it took a day and a half. However, he was quickly spotted if his bow was on him, so he had to leave it behind. The only tool of justice he had on him was his grandpa’s combat knife from the war. The said knife was not helpful when the crazy bitch had a gun.
“COME ON OUT, REIGAN! I’MA KILL YOU JUST LIKE YOUR OLD MAN!”
“COPS ARE ALREADY ON THEIR WAY, KRONYA! JUST GIVE UP NOW AND SAVE US ALL THE TROUBLE!” Claude bluffed from down the hall. He didn’t call the cops; his only proof was that he saw her do the act. A ‘he-said-she-said’ won’t be great for court. Besides, the roaring hunger in his chest craved vengeance, and the cops wouldn’t let him get any.
As he spoke, the wall beside his head exploded into shards of wood. He ducked away from the blast. “AS IF THE COPS WOULD LISTEN TO SOME DIRTY BROWN RAT!”
“DAMN, A MURDERER, AN ARSONIST, AND A RACIST!? WHAT’S NEXT, YOU A MISOGYNIST TOO?” Claude called out. This whole thing was NOT going to plan. He looked around the room he ducked into to see if he could use anything. Peeling green wallpaper, a broken clock, a portable propane tank, some pillow- A propane tank? This was an arsonist’s home, so fight fire with fire? Claude hefted up the propane tank, and as he got it where he wanted it, Kronya walked into the room.
“Found y-” With all his might, he chunked the tank at the woman who, in retaliation, shot the object before her eyes widened comically.
Claude’s world exploded.
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Hilda charged into the burning home, determined to save anyone who might still be inside. She was exhausted, having dealt with four different fires in the past twenty-four hours, but she refused to let her weakness endanger anyone's life. As she kicked down the front door, she noticed bullet shells on the floor and wondered what had happened here.
Walking through the burning building, Hilda searched for the breaker panel to turn off the power, which could worsen the fire. She found it in the almost completely enveloped bedroom, and as she flicked the switches, she heard her team's hose blast water on the wall. But then she heard a voice, one that didn't belong in a fire.
“I’LL HAVE TO START ALL OVER NOW!”
Hilda stopped, realizing that those weren't the words of someone fighting a fire. A gunshot followed, and she quickly moved towards the remaining bedroom. Inside, she saw shrapnel, a busted door with bullet holes, and Claude on the floor bleeding from a gunshot wound. The arsonist, the woman responsible for the fires that had been ruining the town, stood over him with a gun.
“YOU SLOWED MY PURGE, BUT I’LL STILL BURN THIS CITY DOWN, REIGAN! THE ONE YOUR PRECIOUS GRANDFATHER RAN! THE SAME ONE YOU BOTH WILL HAVE DIED IN!”
Hilda felt a burst of rage filling her body. She had had enough of this woman causing destruction and ruining lives. Claude's life was on the line, and she knew she had to act fast. She felt a twinge in her eye and pulled her axe out, rearing it back.
“I’LL LEAVE YOU TO DIE IN THE SAME FLAMES YOUR GRANDFATHER DIED IN!” That was the last straw for Hilda.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” And with all her might, Hilda threw her fireman’s axe at the woman, who turned to look at the sudden noise. Her turning, however, caused the axe blade to bury deep in the arsonist’s forehead. Hilda’s whole body shook in horror as she realized she just became a murderer. “Oh… Oh no…”
“H-Hilda?” Claude groaned from the floor. “W-what happ- Oh god.” Hilda felt Claude groaning from the floor and looked over to see the gruesome sight that made her feel sick. She couldn't look away.
“I-I didn’t… mean…”
Suddenly, Claude was in her face, and she couldn't see anything else but him. He said, "Hilda, look at me; it'll be alright; we need to get out of here." With a shaky nod, she let Claude lead her out of the burning building. As soon as she got outside, she ripped her respirator off and vomited on the ground. Hilda fought to catch her breath, only to vomit again. Her ears were buzzing, and she felt light-headed, her vision blurring in and out of focus.
The next thing she knew, she was wrapped up in a blanket, sitting alone in an ambulance. Claude had already been whisked away in a separate vehicle to get his gunshot wound cleaned and healed. The doors of the ambulance she was in shut just as she saw Caspar come out of the home with the corpse. The arsonist was dead, and the fires that plagued Leicester for the past year would disappear. Claude wouldn't be cagey anymore since his grandpa's murderer was dead. Maybe she could have an everyday life again? But how could she live a normal life when she took a life herself? She wasn't supposed to do that; she was supposed to save people, not kill them! Hilda was supposed to bring light to people, right? Not take it away!
Exhaustion fully kicked in, and she fell unconscious with tears in her eyes and a weak whisper of "I'm so sorry."